A photographer who volunteers at shelters for those sleeping rough has taken a series of portraits showing the true face of homelessness in London, and they're not what you might expect.

In one, an attractive blonde smiles confidently at the camera, her eyes sparkling. Another shows a man in a sharp suit, grinning cheekily and exuding happiness.

They are among a number of shots taken by Rosie Holtom, 31, who wanted to challenge the preconceptions of homelessness.

Lily 21, (left) and Patrick, 57, (right) as pictured by Rosie Holtom for her alternative look at homeless people

According to Ms Holtom, who works as an animator by
day, she wanted to break the norm of picturing homeless people in such a
way as to make them appear hard-up and desperate.

Positive: Rosie Holtom (above) wanted to show the homeless people as they wanted to be percieved

Instead, she has shot simple portraits
of the guests which she says shows their characters and not their
homelessness.

She is hoping the pictures will challenge people's ideas of what homeless men and
women in London look like.

Ms
Holtom says she has met many interesting people at Shelter from the Storm, a free homeless centre in north London where she has worked for four years.

'I felt there was this huge disconnect between the stereotypes I
constantly saw portrayed in the media and the reality of the homeless
people I was meeting.

'People
assume all homeless people are drunks or addicts, cast out from
society, the reality is very different. I have met people from all
backgrounds and a rising number of young people who simply can't afford
rent in London.'

According
to the photographer, some of the residents' told her stories of being
kicked out by corrupt landlords, running away from a violent spouse or
being asked to leave the family home illustrate this point.

Instead of encouraging stereotypes Ms Holtom asked her subjects at Shelter from the Storm to dress and pose exactly how they would like to be seen.

She
said: 'We see a lot of teary shots of teenagers on the street in the
run up to Christmas but I think people have become desensitised to hard
hitting images like this.

'I feel it is time more positive imagery is used to mobilise people to help.'

Terencio, 26, (left) and Glen, 36 (right) agreed be in the project which aims to a positive side to homelessness

Ruth, 36, (left) is one of the visitors to the Shelter from the Storm centre in North London, where Holturn works

Caroline, 40, (left) and Emmanuel, 22, (right) were pictured how they wanted to be seen, smiling and confident

'Our
guests at the shelter are now putting their lives back together and
looking forwards, I wanted to portray them as the strong people they
are.